Not very long ago (so recently that some may still find it strange that it’s not the way things are) brands alone seemed to have power over what was considered beautiful and how people should fit into that mold. Now, though, we are part of a world where notions of personal beauty defy old-fashioned notions of gender, age, race or body type. Standards are changing and they are changing following the desires and needs of the customer. In this brave new world, it is therefore more important than ever that beauty and cosmetics brands and retailers understand and adapt to their clientele rather than the other way around. Personalised beauty, which can include the use of personalised beauty technology, is one way of ensuring that happens. So, what does personalised beauty mean for brands and retailers in 2020?
Here’s our top 5 things to know about personalised beauty:
1) In 2020 and the future in general, beauty and cosmetics customers will expect their individual needs to be catered for, no longer something new and exciting, but part and parcel of their shopping experience. Brands and retailers will have to accommodate that while also adopting a policy of inclusivity that accepts diverse beauty concerns and offers a range of solutions. These solutions have to be prominently and easily accessible or the consumer will just go elsewhere.
2) When you’re thirteen, it might feel cool to find a magnet with your name on it, picked from a selection with any name from Abigail to Zuleikha. Then you realise the magnet with your name on it is pink, when you wanted a blue one, or your name isn’t there at all. If, at that time, you decided it was just bad luck, customers are no longer so forgiving. What the customer wants, the brand or retailer should provide. This means that customisation will be instrumental in the 2020 beauty world. Customers will no longer accept being subjected to generic, non-targeted skincare, hair care and make-up products. If you can’t make it for them, or allow them to find them what they need from the selection you have, somebody else will.
3) Personalisation is, to a great extent, driven by young consumers who have grown up knowing how to use a computer and with easy access to the internet. These consumers have been brought up with low patience for time-wasting or irrelevant product recommendations. This is a growing base that will increasingly expect quick, accurate solutions and product recommendations, which they will be more than willing to access online, but will also expect to see as part of their in-store shopping experience.
4) According to recent surveys, 31% of Chinese consumers feel that 'individuality' defines luxury while, in the United States, 40% of make-up users aged 25-35 express frustration with the process of finding products that match their skin-tone correctly. Personalised Beauty is a global movement, and beauty personalisation technology helps generate the universal, but individualistic, appeal that beauty brands and retailers will be expected to harness. Beauty personalisation is about people from all backgrounds and all walks of life, and no matter how small or how big of a reach a brand has, they will benefit from acknowledging that.
5) Beauty personalisation is going nowhere. It’s a trend, but ‘trend’ could also arguably be the wrong word, suggesting a lack of permanency rather than the fact that it’s here to stay. However, personalised technology does allow for the monitoring of other trends and customer desires. Beauty personalisation technology allows brands to evolve based on tracking the changing needs of the individual consumer. Beauty personalisation technology also allows brands and retailers to continue a dialogue between their needs and those of the customer. This means they create the products that are truly wanted, while also adapting quickly to any changes in fashion. Beauty personalisation technology means that the personalised can be truly personal.
Book a Demo now to see how Beauty Matching Engine can help you hit your Personalised Beauty targets in 2020 and beyond.